ST. JOHN’S, Newfoundland and Labrador – The St. John’s IceCaps were in the headlines again this week when they unveiled their home and away jerseys for the 2011-12 AHL season.
Online, print and television media outlets were abuzz in St. John’s on Thursday, Sept. 22 when the team revealed its look for the upcoming hockey campaign. The jerseys are modeled after the parent Winnipeg Jets uniforms, with the IceCaps’ logo displayed on the chest and the Jets’ logo on the shoulders.
The home jersey is white, with dark blue running the length of each sleeve, accompanied by a pair of horizontal, light blue stripes. The away uniform is polar night blue, as described by the team, with two white horizontal stripes on each sleeve.
“I could not be more pleased with the final product we are unveiling today which will be the signature look of the St. John’s IceCaps. These are incredibly sharp looking jerseys that are sure to catch the eye throughout the league,” said Danny Williams, IceCaps president and chief executive officer. “As the AHL’s newest team, we wanted to ensure that we earned 
our place as a top notch organization. We started by becoming one of the most successful teams from a ticket sale and revenue perspective, thanks to the outstanding support of our fans and corporate community. Now we are making our mark with our IceCaps branding; and in just a few weeks our team will take to the ice and start what promises to be an exciting inaugural season. Today is just one more step on the journey to bringing professional hockey back to a province that loves it so much.”
Williams was joined by IceCaps winger and Newfoundland and Labrador native Jason King at the jersey unveiling, along with Glenn Stanford, the IceCaps chief operating officer. Stanford anticipates the team’s look with draw positive reviews from fans.
“The glacier-white jerseys will be what our fans will see the team wear at Mile One Centre on opening night and throughout the season,” Stanford said. “With the combination of dark and light blue, along with the grey piping, we expect the jerseys to be very well received.”
Team name receives province-wide support
It appears the name IceCaps has caught on not just in St. John’s, but across the province of Newfoundland and Labrador.
Williams told the St. John’s Telegram that a Corporate Research Associates (CRA) poll recently determined 60 per cent of people in the province completely or mostly favour the name of the new AHL franchise. The numbers please Williams, who insists the organization’s vision is to create a brand the entire province will embrace.
“Snowcapped mountains, icebergs, our rugged northern climate — these are all elements with which the people of Newfoundland and Labrador can identify. So, the IceCaps was a natural selection that we really felt people would support,” Williams said to The Telegram.
Pasquale hoping for No. 1 job
Edward Pasquale has his sights set on claiming the No. 1 goaltending job with the IceCaps this season.
The 21-year-old netminder split last season between the Chicago Wolves of the AHL and the Gwinnett Gladiators of the ECHL, but is hoping for a full year of AHL seasoning in 2011-12. He recently said last year was a learning experience for him and will help him improve his game as a second-year pro.
“I kind of had an up-and-down year. I started off well in Chicago. It’s your first year as a pro and you have to get it under your belt one day or another. It was tough, but you learn a lot of stuff and I’ll take that into this year,” Pasquale told the Winnipeg Sun. “I’ve got a lot of skill, that’s what got me here. But you have to fine tune if you want to play at the next level.”
Pasquale is said to have played quite well at the Jets’ rookie camp and is expected to report to St. John’s early next week.
Veteran goalie in the mix
Pasquale may face stiff competition for crease time in St. John’s from a former Stanley Cup champion.
David Aebischer, who won a Cup as Patrick Roy’s backup with the Colorado Avalanche in 2001, signed a tryout agreement with the Jets that could see him suiting up in St. John’s if he doesn’t make the parent club in Winnipeg.
The Jets are expected to go with Ondrej Pavelec as their starter and Chris Mason as a veteran backup. That would leave the 33-year-old Aebischer on the outside looking in. He could return to the Swiss Elite League, where he played last season, or he could wind up playing the majority of games for the farm team in St. John’s.
“I’m ready to go to the minors for (an opportunity in North America),” Aebischer told NHL.com. “I think what I did in Colorado I can do again.”
Aebischer has played 214 NHL games during stints with Colorado, the Montreal Canadiens and the Phoenix Coyotes.
Contact Darcy.macrae@prohockeynews.com
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